Hello from Michigan!
 

Hey guys! Been redirected to this forum so many times while researching bikes that it finally was time for an account. I'm a relatively new rider (4 seasons in?), and recently have been obsessing over 80s road bikes for their ride quality and design. Been riding mostly a Framed Savona and a Japanese made 87 Bianchi Brava, but that list is ever growing. Excited to be part of the community!

Welcome CDC!

What part of the state are you from?

Welcome from another Michigander.

Thanks!
 

Located between the Jackson and Lansing area. Love how much open and flat road I have out here, but I started on a mountain bike because, ya know, Michigan roads.

Welcome from Saline, Michigan.

I still have my 1982 ROSS Super Gran Tour XV with the 15 Speed Shimano 600 Arabesque Group. I always liked the ride and gear range, but the frame is too big for me so it sits idle. Might need to sell it!

Saline, eh?
 

Sounds like a rad bike! Funny story, you posted this reply as I was posting to Craigslist to sell (honestly what are the odds?) a 1982 Lotus Eclair touring bike with the Shimano 600 Arabesque group! Love the bike, but I'm already low on garage space as it is.

Also, any recommendations on good riding places in your area? I've been checking out Dexter/Hudson Mills and the b2b trail online and it looks awesome! The Lakelands trail also popped up, but it's kinda hard to tell what's paved and what's not.

That is pretty uncanny as I doubt many riders even know what the arabesque is let alone own it!

I have ridden mainly paved roads only a few trails. The B2B route from Dexter to Ypsi is all paved with some urban riding and park trails. Nice for scenic riding with my wife on our his and her matching (haha) Specialized Sirrus hybrids.

My favorite road routes are between Saline, Milan, Bridgewater, Manchester, Dexter, and Ann Arbor.

I going bike shopping soon now that Insurance claim against the driver who got me just got approved! Need to decide road or gravel.

Funny Story
 

A few years ago, I had some perhaps, overly ambitious ideas about the steel road bike I was going to build, and had picked up an early 80s road bike to build up later without doing any research on it. Turns out, it's super hard to find good information on the company, BCA anywhere other than this forum, so that's what brought me here the first time.

The BCA 1000 ST was, in retrospect, almost built to be a trap for people with anecdotal knowledge of bikes, like the model name being so close to the Miyata touring bike of legend, right along with a super cheap Taiwanese knock off of the Arabesque called Shaino 800, and they even tried to mimic the detail on the shifters. Thing rode like a newborn giraffe. Anyway, lots of reading later, I was actually excited to get something that was actually equipped with the real deal 600. I actually drove out to look at it thinking it was an '83 and equipped with the first run of the Deore groupset, but clearly wasn't the case.

And damn dude, got hit by a car? It's staggering how often cyclists casually mention getting hit by cars. Hope you're doing well, and good luck on the hunt for a bike! Stores are cleaned out, but I have a feeling all the well intentioned folks that bought shiny new bikes this year and never rode them will be finding their way into the used market soon enough. Any brands or models catching your eye in particular?

My crashed and totaled bike is a 2013 Cannondale CAAD10 Black Inc. Ultegra Di2. Loved the look and electronic shifting. The aluminum frame is light and quick.

After several friends had been hit by cars on area roads, I stopped riding for the past two years, but, the nice weather here in Michigan these past few weeks caused me to change my mind.

I was just getting back into longer rides and building up to make a 63 mile ride before my 63rd birthday. I was up to 40 miles. I got hit at 18 miles into a 30 mile route while having an otherwise perfect ride on a beautiful and sunny fall day. I love the feel of a nice road ride along the yellowing farms with crops nearly ready for harvest.

I had been shopping for a new bike with an endurance type frame to give to myself as my birthday reward. Cannondale Synapse, Trek Domane, Specialized Roubaix. First, however, I need to decide if I want to get back out on the road ever again. One day at a time.